


Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

by motherbearof3



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Barson, Calhola, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Rollisi, Shower Sex, a little dirty talk, post ep S21 At Midnight In Manhattan, taking the next step in a relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:46:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21528550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/motherbearof3/pseuds/motherbearof3
Summary: After a long weekend away from each other, or at odds with each other in Amanda and Sonny's case, three couples take stock of their relationships.A three chapter story that picks up at the end of "At Midnight in Manhattan"; each one focusing on a different couple.
Relationships: Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr./Amanda Rollins, Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson, Rita Calhoun/Odafin "Fin" Tutuola
Comments: 40
Kudos: 136





	1. Amanda & Sonny

Sonny Carisi turned away from the podium and exhaled tiredly. Two out of three. Two thirds. Sixty-six percent. Not exactly the batting average he was hoping to start out with. But if he was honest with himself, he knew the new bureau chief wouldn’t have taken Lakira’s case to trial anyway. Not with Davies being such a prominent attorney. His eyes scanned the gallery. Fin and the new squad member Kat had been there for the arraignments, but Amanda hadn’t joined them. She was probably home with Jesse and Billie by now. As well she should. After stopping by his office, he left the courthouse and headed to her apartment. He would take the girls off Amanda’s hands for a few hours so she could get some sleep and then he and she were going to have a conversation. Or more accurately, finish the one she’d started in the squadroom. He let himself in with his key and was surprised to see the sitter was still there.

“Uncle Sonny!”

Jesse jumped down from her booster seat at the table where she was eating dinner and ran to be picked up, a request which he was happy to accommodate, even as he felt sticky fingers on the back of his neck and accepted her tomato and garlic-scented kiss on his cheek.

“Hey, kiddo. Spaghetti?”

“Not as good as yours.”

“Don’t tell Mrs. Sullivan that,” he said in a stage whisper, making the woman laugh. 

She was spooning baby food into Billie’s mouth, even as the baby was trying to feed herself small pieces of pasta from the plastic bowl on her highchair tray. 

“Mrs. Sullivan’s sauce comes straight from a jar, just like their mama’s. Only Uncle Sonny makes it from scratch,” she said. “Amanda called and said she had one thing she needed to do before she came home.”

Carisi suspected his former partner had gone to a Gambler’s Anonymous meeting. A whole weekend without sleep, the stress of the three cases and their argument on top of it, she’d have needed an outlet for her frustrations and years ago would have found an underground poker game or gone to the track to place some bets. It had been a long time since she’d done that, but Sonny knew the pull was still there and he was proud of her when she went to a meeting instead and realized he should tell her that more often.

“I’ll take care of these monkeys until she gets here,” he told the woman who had become Amanda’s sitter when Billie was born. Her children were all in high school and she enjoyed being with little ones. It also wasn’t a problem, then, if she needed to stay overnight occasionally. “I know you pulled the extended weekend shift along with the rest of us.”

“Are you sure? You look tired too. At least I got some sleep. Although this one must be getting another tooth. She was fussy.”

“Positive.”

Sonny made a silly face at Billie, who finally had enough of her sister getting his attention and was making grabby hands in his direction with sauce covered fingers. 

“All right, monkey, go finish. Your sister wants a hug.”

He lowered Jesse to the floor and she climbed back up in her chair. After shrugging off his suit jacket putting it across another chair, pulling off and tucking his tie into the inner pocket and turning back his sleeves, he took the washcloth Mrs. Sullivan offered, and wiped the baby’s hands and face. Then he lifted Billie from the highchair and blew raspberries on her neck until she giggled with glee. Both girls were bathed and in their pajamas, Jesse “reading” a book to Frannie with Billie watching from her bouncer when Amanda finally came through the door. She stopped short when she saw Sonny on her couch, stripped to his undershirt and suit pants, matching tiny socks from a laundry basket beside him.

“Mommy!”

Amanda’s mini me launched herself at her mother who dropped to her knees and caught her firstborn in her arms with an audible  _ oompf  _ at the impact. But she had a smile from ear to ear and Carisi knew this was what the woman lived for. Coming home to her daughters. He set aside the basket, stood and lifted Billie from her seat, since she was echoing her sister with cries of “Mama! Mama!” The woman had stood with Jesse on her hip and now reached for the baby, balancing her on the other, soaking in the unconditional love from them. Finally Sonny said, 

“All right, Jess, let your mom go change her clothes. She’s been wearin’ them for three days.”

He plucked her from her mother’s arms and set her on the floor.

“Is that why you’re half naked? Couldn’t stand that shirt anymore?” Amanda asked with a raised eyebrow, taking in his muscular arms and chest under the thin white cotton.

“I’ll have you know that Barba taught me well. I keep a whole extra suit in my office,” he retorted with a touch of smugness. “So I changed before the arraignments. No, we had a small mishap.”

“Billie spit up on Uncle Sonny,” Jesse informed her mother, before moving away to dig in her toy box.

“That’s what you get for tossing her over your head.”

This wasn’t the first time it had happened and the woman had no sympathy. He shrugged.

“She likes it. I rinsed my shirt out but it still smells.”

“So do you,” Amanda said with a grin, sniffing at his undershirt. 

She was still holding the baby on one hip, but he stepped closer, put one arm around her waist and tugged her closer until she leaned her other side against his body, resting her head on his shoulder, snaking her free arm around his waist. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have gone off on you like that in the squad room.”

Sonny pressed his cheek to the top of her head and squeezed her in a one-armed hug.

“It’s okay. I just wished I had known that’s really how you felt, ‘Manda. I thought we talked about everything when they offered me the job.”

She tipped her head back and met his eyes.

“I know. We did. And I thought I was good with it.”

“Until it all went to hell in one night,” he said.

“Yeah.”

Sonny bent his head and dropped a kiss on her mouth.

“Go take a shower. We can talk more once the girls are in bed.”

“Billie goes to bed before me because she’s a baby,” announced Jesse from where she was setting up a tea party for a doll and a stuffed moose that Noah had given her.

Amanda rolled her eyes at him and handed Billie over. 

The detective closed the bathroom door behind her with a sigh and began to remove her clothes. She never wanted to see that yellow blouse again. Her hand hovered over the trash can for a moment, but then she tossed it in the hamper. It was one of her favorites. She needed to take a page from Sonny’s -- well, Barba’s book, and keep a change of work clothes in her locker. She had sweats in it, but she didn’t think Olivia would have approved of her wearing them to visit a victim and her family. Amanda couldn’t remember another time in seven years that more than one case had come in at the same time. As she let the water wash away the past three days and nights, she thought back to what she had said to Sonny in the squadroom. She hadn’t meant to lose her temper but lack of sleep and lack of a work partner had pushed her over the edge.

_ “You made that bed, you can lie in it.”  _

She had thrown that at him when he made a comment about the new bureau chief getting upset if he didn’t make all the cases. Not very empathic, Rollins, she thought with a grimace. How many times had she worried about their lieutenant being angry with her and he had told her it would be okay.

_ “It’s all about politics; which is not your strong suit.” _

That was only partially right. Dominick Carisi, Jr. could play the political game if he needed to; she’d seen him do it. He just preferred not to.

_ “We’re drowning — because you left!” _

She had felt like she was drowning right then. Drowning in exhaustion. Drowning in frustration.

_ “...I would be fine if you were right here beside me! ...you were my partner. You walked out on me.” _

Her words were figurative of course. Just because they didn’t work side by side any more, didn’t mean their personal relationship had ended. They’d been together since shortly after Billie was born. When she had gone into labor, Sonny had accompanied her to the hospital and she realized – as he was supporting her and coaching her through labor since Al left once she turned down his marriage proposal – that her feelings for him had shifted from platonic to something more. When Dr. Al asked her to marry him, she had refused before telling Sonny the reason why – because she wasn’t in love with Dr. Al, she was in love with him. She wasn’t sure Sonny still felt the same; not after her recent behaviour when it came to men. She knew she’d hurt him that time in West Virginia but told him she hoped he could forgive her. She’d been denying her feelings, Amanda told him, because part of her didn’t feel like she deserved a man like Sonny. But he wrapped his long arms around her and said everyone made mistakes and that he would always love her and her girls and would have stayed in their lives even if she had married Dr. Al. Then he kissed her. The day she came back from maternity leave, they filed disclosure papers. Everything was going along well. Until today when she acted a fool. 

_ “How stupid are you?” _

Amanda groaned thinking about her asking him that. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he had been pissed. But instead was sitting in her living room when she got home. Looking like he belonged there. Just like he had from the first time he came home and cooked for her when she was pregnant with Jesse.

Knocking on the bathroom door interrupted her thoughts.

“Mommy! I gotsa pee!” 

Then Sonny’s voice.

“‘Manda, you okay in there?”

Amanda turned off the water and reached for a towel, noticing how pruned her fingers were. She’d been in the shower longer than she realized. Wrapping it around herself, she opened the door for Jesse, who dashed in, pulling down her pj bottoms as she ran. 

“One of these days I need to get a place with two bathrooms,” Amanda said, rubbing her hair with a second towel and walking past Sonny who was leaning against the door frame. 

He followed her into her bedroom.

“If Jesse hadn’t knocked, I was going to. You were in there a while,” he said. “Billie is ready, but I thought maybe you wanted to put her down.”

Sonny had traded his spit up stained undershirt for a Fordham Law School t shirt and a pair of joggers which made Amanda wonder if he planned on staying the night. Most of the time he spent Friday or Saturday nights when she didn’t have to work, which was why she had been eager to get home when her shift ended late Friday night. She was looking forward to seeing him on Saturday. Which she did, but not the way she’d hoped.

“I was just thinking,” she replied, pulling a on her own t shirt, clean underwear and a pair of leggings.

“‘Bout what?”

“What I said to you.”

“Amanda, I told you it’s okay. I understand. You were tired and frustrated.”

“That’s no excuse for what I said.”

“I can see you really need to talk about this some more. Let’s get the girls to bed,” Sonny said, taking her hand and leading her from the room. 

Jesse had finished in the bathroom and washed her hands, as evidenced by the water on the front of her pajama top and was holding a small stack of books in her arms.

"I picked stories. Mrs. Sullivan said we’d catch up when you got home, and you missed two sleeps. Plus one tonight, that makes three, right?”

“Yes, it does, my smart girl,” her mother told her. “Can Uncle Sonny read tonight’s while I put Billie to bed and then I’ll read the two I missed?”

“Okay.”

When finally both girls were asleep in their shared room, Amanda flopped down on the couch next to Sonny where he was making notes on a legal pad. She sighed.

“I was so tired twelve hours ago, but now I feel like even if I go to bed, I won’t be able to fall asleep.”

“You’re overtired. Do you want something to eat?”

“No.” She shook her head.

“Turn around, I’ll rub your neck,” Sonny said, putting his hands at her waist and urging her to move and put her back to him.

“You don’t have to do that,” Amanda protested weakly, knowing how good he was at back rubs. “You’re tired too.”

“Not as much as you. I got to sleep Friday night, remember?”

“I know. I was looking forward to spending Saturday with yo — ohh, that feels good,” she groaned when his skillful fingers found a knot and gently kneaded it out.

“I was too. This new job is just as hard on me as it is you,” Sonny said softly as he continued to massage her shoulders. “Not only do I not see you every day like before, and have to wait for evenings and weekends when you’re not working, but I have to prove myself all over again. Then there’s the pay cut.”

Amanda spun around and took his hands in hers.

“But it’s like you said. This is your shot, Dominick. You had to take it. You worked so hard. Going to law school at night while you were a cop. Making detective at the same time. I remember that day when we were waiting to see if you passed the bar.”

“I know. I thought I was gonna puke in the trash can before the results were posted.”

They laughed together. Then her blue eyes got serious.

“That’s why I was so out of line yesterday. We did talk about this. We talked about it all. From the not working together anymore to the pay cut — not that your money has anything to do with me — to the starting over at the bottom. This is your dream, honey. And I was wrong to make you feel bad about going for it, just because I was feeling frustrated and a little alone.”

Sonny rubbed his thumbs across the tops of her hands.

“I’ve been doing some thinking, Amanda,” he said and she felt her stomach fall, suddenly afraid he was going to tell her their relationship wasn’t going to be able to weather the changes. “I got a hiring bonus and we can use some of it for first and last month’s rent on a new place. A place with two bathrooms. Maybe even with separate bedrooms for Jesse and Billie if you want.”

“Wait, what? Two bathrooms?” Amanda’s sleep deprived brain was having a hard time processing what he was saying.

“Yeah. I think we should move in together. The four of us. Well, five if you include Frannie.”

The dog chuffed at the sound of her name without picking up her head where she lay on the floor by the door to the girls’ room.

“See, she thinks it’s a good idea.”

“But that’s your hiring bonus. You should save it, since you’re not making as much,” Amanda protested, even as she was thinking how much she would love snuggling next to his lanky frame every night.

“Well, I did spend some of it already,” he admitted, a nervous blush creeping up his neck.

“On what?” 

She wondered if he had finally bought the Mustang he’d been wanting since she met him.

“I probably should have talked to you about it first, but that kinda’ takes the romance out of it,” he said. Then, “Frannie, fetch.”

The dog got up and went behind the couch and returned to the couple, an object in her mouth.

“You better take it before she slobbers all over it,” Sonny said.

Amanda held out her hand and Frannie dropped a blue velvet box into it. Her head snapped up to look at the man beside her.

“Carisi.”

“Rollins.”

He opened the box in her hand to reveal a round diamond surrounded by smaller ones in what was clearly a vintage setting of old gold.

“I love you and Jesse and Billie, and I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. I don’t ever want you to feel like you’re alone again. This was my Nonna Carisi’s ring. I had it set with new diamonds. Will you wear it and be my wife?”

When she felt her eyes fill with tears, Amanda told herself it was because she hadn’t slept in three days and not because of his words, but the crinkle around his eyes said he knew otherwise, and Sonny moved one hand to cup her cheek before leaning down to kiss her. They were interrupted by Frannie’s wet nose against their hands that still held the ring box and they broke apart, laughing.

“I think she wants to know the answer,” he said.

Amanda looked at the dog.

“Frannie, the answer is yes.”


	2. Rita & Fin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little more explicit than the first. If this isn’t your cup of tea, please wait for the next one.

When Friday ticked into Saturday and the new officer’s comment cursed them into a nightmare weekend, Sgt. Odafin “Fin” Tutuola knew better than to try and let his girlfriend know he wouldn’t be there any time soon. Not that she didn’t want to know or didn’t care or would be angry. She simply wouldn’t hear the text notification or ringtone. Rita Calhoun had developed a bizarre ability to sleep through everything except her alarm, someone pounding on her door and Giorgio, her cat, meowing. Fortunately, Georgie only meowed when it thundered. Additional proof, she said, he thought he was a dog. So he threw himself into the three cases that had come in simultaneously and hoped to be out of there in time to bring Rita breakfast in bed. Little did he know that wasn’t going to happen.

Rita had gone to bed Friday night, hoping to wake up to her boyfriend snuggling behind her as soon as he got off his shift. She had showered, shaved, moisturized and put on a new negligee, looking forward to a little late night sex. When Fin worked late shifts, he was never ready to go to sleep right away, and it had become their ritual for him to climb in bed when he got there and wake her up with kisses and touching. But when she woke up, rolled over and was alone in the bed, she looked at the clock on her nightstand. The LED lights told her it was 4:17 a.m. Rita reached for her phone on the charging stand, not to look for a text because she knew there wouldn’t be one, but to send one.

**Woke up alone. I’m going to assume something came up at work and not that you had somewhere better to be.**

Then she got out of bed, went to the bathroom, came back and, unsurprisingly had no reply. Giorgio had moved into the warm spot on the sheets and she had to shoo him away before climbing under the covers. When she woke again, it was to her alarm and there was a response from the SVU sergeant.

**_Hey baby. You know there’s nowhere I’d rather have been. A hat trick of assaults came in at once. Could be a long weekend. I’ll keep you posted._ **

Rita went about her day, waiting for another update, which came late in the afternoon. This time he was able to call her.

“Hello, Odafin? How are you doing?” she asked, knowing he couldn’t tell her any details.

“Better now that I’m hearin’ your voice,” he said, leaning against the metal bunk frame in the crib.

“Have you gotten any sleep?”

“Nah. I’m gonna lay down here in a minute and get a few, but I wanted to call you. I honestly don’t know when we’re going to wrap up all these cases. With Carisi gone to the dark side and the new girl, Rollins and me are stretched thin -- “

“It’s okay, Odafin. I’ll see you when I see you,” Rita assured him. “Go have your nap.”

She ended the call and sighed. They both worked long hours on weekdays and usually didn’t see each other much unless it was to grab a quick lunch. Or, if she didn’t have court, would sometimes meet him for breakfast. So she looked forward to their weekends. Fin would frequently arrive Friday after work and spend both that and Saturday night, only returning to his own apartment late on Sunday. Rita knew was she was getting into, dating a police officer, so she wasn’t going to make him feel badly about it, but she certainly did miss waking up to his dimples when he wasn’t around. Not to mention having someone other than Giorgio to snuggle with. It was late in the day on Sunday when she finally heard the lock turn on her front door. Giorgio jumped down from his post beside her where he’d been supervising her composition of some briefs and ran to greet Fin.

“Hey, baby,” he said, after toeing off his shoes and stowing them under the bench by the door with hers.

Rita moved her laptop to the coffee table and rose from the couch with a smile.

“Hey yourself. I didn’t think I’d see you at all this weekend.”

They met in the middle of the room, moving into each other’s arms for a warm embrace. 

“I’ll tell you I missed you but also your place is closer than mine and I really need to get out of these clothes,” Fin said.

Rita went up on her toes and kissed him. Then she laughed and said,

“I missed you too and yes, you do.”

While Fin was in her shower, Rita got him some clean clothes from the drawer he kept at her house. It was easier than having to bring a bag with him every weekend, he had finally admitted. She opened the door to the bathroom and placed the clothes on the vanity, then paused to admire his naked form through the partial glass wall that kept water from getting on the floor. The rest of the shower was open.

“See somethin’ you like?” 

Fin’s deep voice rumbled over the sound of the water, and a shiver of excitement ran through her. This was a game they played and Rita knew where it was headed.

“I might.”

“Maybe you need to take a closer look.”

“Maybe I do.”

Rita removed her shirt and pants as Fin watched from his side of the glass, then her underwear and matching bra, putting all of the items on top of the closed hamper. Then she stepped into the shower where he was waiting for her. She eyed him speculatively. He looked tired but Fin’s exhaustion was temporarily swept down the drain with the water as he looked at the woman standing opposite him, her nipples standing hard and high on her breasts from the shower spray and arousal he knew she was feeling from the look on her face. She stepped closer and reached up to put her hands behind his head and pull him down for a kiss. Before their lips met, she whispered, as she always did at this point, 

“Fuck me, Odafin.”

He needed no more encouragement and claimed her lips the way he knew she liked it, slow and languorously, thrusting his tongue into her mouth in a rhythm that he knew would make her wet. Rita clutched at his shoulders and moaned her approval when his hands went to her ass to pull her hips tight against his, trapping his growing erection between them. 

Fin spun them so the water hit her, warming her skin and then backed her against the wall, his hands continuing to roam her back and hips, while his mouth plundered hers. Rita lifted a leg to wrap it around his, rocking against him, feeling his dick harden more against her hip as she did. When his mouth left hers, she whined in disappointment but the sound quickly turned to one of pleasure when his lips closed over a nipple, his tongue teasing the sensitive tip. His hand hitched her leg higher around his, and Rita felt his fingers slide under her thigh to find and tease her slick folds before sliding a finger inside her. 

“God, yes,” she groaned. “More.”

He added a second finger, and slid them in and out of her, while his mouth moved to her other breast, his teeth grazing over the hardened tip, both actions making her hiss with pleasure. She reached between them to wrap a hand around his length, stroking it firmly from base to tip, gathering some of the pre come that had collected there and used it to lubricate her palm as she moved back down, eliciting a growl from him. This is what Fin needed to clear his mind of the last three long days. To forget about the horrors and brutality he investigated daily and lose himself in the warmth and passion of the woman he loved. 

“Need you, Babe,” he said roughly, his lips moving back to her neck, finding and biting the spot that made her tip her head back and shiver. 

“Take me.”

Fin lifted Rita easily, putting her back against the wall as she clung to his shoulders, gazing in his eyes as he positioned his tip at her entrance and slid inside her with a single thrust. She clenched her muscles around him and he began to move; slowly at first, but picking up speed as Rita dug her nails into his back, encouraging him. Fin reached again under one of her thighs and pulled her leg higher around his waist, the change in position had him hitting a spot inside her that made her swear,

“Fuck, Odafin. Yes. Harder, harder.”

The man did as she demanded, feeling his balls tighten with his impending orgasm. His hands gripped her ass tightly and Rita knew she’d have purple marks in the morning.

“Christ, you feel so good, I’m not gonna last,” he gritted out and kissed her hard, continuing to pound into her. 

Rita returned the kiss, giving as hard as she got, biting his lower lip.

“Take what you want, babe,” she purred in his ear, tightening her legs around him, grinding her pelvis against his, getting the pressure and friction she needed.

Knowing she was as close to coming as he was, Fin allowed his need to take over, thrusting deep inside her, her back bumping against the wall. He tried to get out her name, but could only manage the first letter as his orgasm swept through him, the gutteral sound echoing off the tile. His hips jerked hard against hers as he pumped the last of his seed into her and the throbbing of his dick finally set off Rita’s own orgasm and she clung to him, seeking his mouth for a deep, sensuous kiss, finally breaking it off only because she needed to gasp for air.

As they both caught their breath, Fin began to feel guilty. He pulled out of her and held her close as Rita lowered her wobbly legs to the floor of the shower. Once she had recovered sufficiently, she reached for the washcloth and a bar of soap and began to wash his chest. He took them from her hands and shook his head.

“No,” he said gently, and washed her instead, before then giving himself a quick wash while she rinsed away the evidence of their lovemaking. 

Once Rita had turned off the water, he pulled a towel from the heated rack and tenderly dried her first as the woman watched curiously. Not that he hadn’t ever done these things before, but there was a different air to his actions and an odd look in his eyes. Only once she was dry and the towel wrapped around and tucked in place over her breasts, did Fin reach for a towel for himself. She placed a palm against his cheek, feeling the weekend’s worth of growth, and went up on her toes to press a soft kiss against his lips.

“Get dry and join me in bed. You need to sleep.”

Dried and dressed in just the boxers Rita brought him, Fin finally exited the bathroom. Rita was in bed with the covers drawn back on his side, a loving smile on her face. He hesitated, thinking he ought to get dressed and go to his own place, but exhaustion won the mental debate and he climbed into the high thread count sheets beside her.

“Roll over, you get to be the small spoon right now,” she said. 

The irony of her words made Fin smile, because she was so small curled up against his back, one arm around his middle and her legs tucked in behind his. He put his arm over hers and threaded their fingers together. As tired as he was, he still didn’t feel right about using Rita for his pleasure to forget about work and couldn’t go to sleep. Snuggled up behind him and with her palm over his heart, she could feel he wasn’t relaxing.

“Odafin, what’s wrong?” she asked kissing the center of his back. “You’re so tense.”

He rolled over to face her.

“Rita, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that in the shower,” Fin said, his face serious.

“What? Made love to me?”

“No, I used you. Used sex with you to forget about work.”

Rita placed a perfectly manicured hand against his chest.

“Babe, I assure you, what we did was completely consensual. You’ve fucked me harder than that before. Remember having to fix this bed?”

She arched an impeccably groomed brow at him.

“Yes, but --”

“No buts, Odafin. I get it. I do. You don’t have to apologize. Ever. I can tell how bad your day was or a case is by how we make love. It’s okay to create good memories about sex to replace the bad things about it that you encounter. I’ve used you a couple times myself, to remind me that it’s an act of love.”

Fin was surprised to hear her say that, but relieved that she understood. He rolled onto his back and put his arm around her so she could rest her head on his chest. Beneath her, Rita could feel him relaxing finally, and she snuggled close, rubbing her hand across his pecs. He kissed the top of her head.

“I hate that some nights you go home alone, though,” she said softly. “And that I have to spend some nights without you.”

“You thinkin’ I should move in here with you n’ Georgie, counselor?”

His voice was heavy and slow and Rita knew he’d be asleep momentarily.

“I think we should see what Georgie thinks, sergeant.”

“I think he’ll say yes.”


	3. Olivia & Rafael

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SVU's captain returns home to her family after the long weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a little shorter than the other two and complete fluff, but sometimes you just need the fluff. Hopefully now that I've wrapped this up I can get back to some other things that need updated as well. But I'm always open for suggestions. Feel free to reach out to me on twitter or tumblr if you have any requests. I'm motherbearof03 in both places.

Olivia thought she’d be the first to leave Friday night, and ended up being the last one to leave the squad room on Sunday by the time it was all said and done. Amanda left first, then Fin. Kat left to find Lakira after the woman had dropped the charges against her attacker. Olivia knew the young officer was frustrated at what she perceived was a failure to get justice for her victim. She would talk to her about it. Just not that day. As she waited for the elevator, she sent a group text to all three.

**_Good work all around. Everyone gets a personal day tomorrow. Fin, you and I are on call if needed. Perks of being in charge._ **

The last sentence was punctuated with a winking emoji. She got no response, nor did she expect one. She sent a second on the ride down in the elevator.

**_On my way home. I want to hear about everything I missed over dinner._ **

Leaning tiredly against the wall, the new captain of SVU thought about her son and husband waiting for her at home. Rafael’s birthday had been Friday, but they’d planned a family celebration with the three of them for Saturday and again with his mother at their usual brunch on Sunday, and she hated to have to call him, not to tell him she was on her way -- because he always waited up for her -- but to tell him he should go to sleep because she didn’t know when she’d be home and say she was sorry. As he had since their relationship began, he told her not to apologize, that he and Noah were fine and to concentrate on her victim; or in this case victims. She’d seen them briefly earlier that day when they stopped at the precinct on their way home from Lucia’s and brought food she’d made for the squad, knowing none of them had taken time for something that resembled an actual meal. Kat remarked between Carisi’s cannoli’s and Lucia’s cooking, she would have to hit the gym more often. Olivia chuckled, remembering Noah’s comment about the new SVU officer.  _ She’s pretty,  _ he’d whispered when she hugged him goodbye and said she hoped to be home soon.

“Captain Benson?” said a smiling young woman standing beside a sedan at the curb when she walked out the doors of the precinct.

“Yes,” Olivia replied cautiously, wondering if she was about to get served.

“Rafael Barba sent me to pick you up.”

The woman stepped aside and the older woman saw the sticker that identified her as a hired driver on the window of the car.

“Of course he did,” she murmured.

Olivia smiled and climbed into the back seat while the driver went around to her side. Leave it to Rafael to send a car for her. She wondered how long the woman had been waiting and what it had cost him. But it was small things like this that he did for her that just made her love him even more. Relaxing back into the luxurious leather upholstery -- leave it to him to request a high end sedan -- she closed her eyes as the car pulled away from the curb into traffic, opening them as her phone vibrated in her hand.

_ Enjoy the ride. See you soon. _

Olivia was surprised yet again upon arriving home to discover the table was set with their best dishes and the gifts she and Noah had wrapped. Mouth-watering aromas wafted from the kitchen and she was reminded again how little she had eaten over the long weekend. Noah greeted her first, with Rafael on his heels, a glass of wine in his hand.

“We waited to have Rafa’s birthday until you came home ,” Noah told her.

The birthday man kissed her and asked,

“Dinner or shower first?”

“As much as I’m dying for a shower, if I do I’m going to fall asleep as soon as I’m done so dinner first.”

Olivia took a small sip of the wine, appreciating the sentiment, but knowing it would go straight to her head without some food. Over dinner, she listened to her son’s account of their Men’s Weekend as Rafael had coined it. Saturday they stayed in their pajamas until Noah’s dance class in the afternoon, and had eaten breakfast in front of the television where he’d been introduced to 70’s era cartoons such as Justice League and Hong Kong Phooey courtesy of the miracles of cable. The boy preferred the super heroes to the canine detective. After his class the pair had taken advantage of the fair weather and rented bikes to ride in the park. As the boy retold the story of Rafael being wobbly on the bicycle at first, his mother met the man’s eyes and her look told him she was grateful he’d kept Noah busy. Otherwise, she knew he’d have been asking when she would be home.

“Did you know it’s been like 30 years since Rafa rode a bike, Mom?” Noah was saying.

“I didn’t know that,” she replied, giving Rafael an amused smile. “We’ll have to go again so he can stay in practice.”

“Then you can come skiing with me this winter,” he retorted.

“I can ski,” Olivia assured him and then stifled a yawn that made her eyes water.

“ _ Mijo, _ come with me and bring the ice cream back,” Rafael said, standing and stacking their dinner plates. “Your mom is about to fall asleep.”

A round of Happy Birthday, slices of cake and scoops of ice cream later, Olivia was standing under the water of a shower she’d been looking forward to since Saturday morning. She thought about the exchange she’d had with Noah when she held him tight and apologized for having to work all weekend before kissing him goodnight.

“It’s okay, Mom. Rafa and I had a good time. Do you think he would mind if I started calling him Dad?”

The question brought a lump to her throat that she had to swallow down before replying, grateful her face was buried in her son’s curls and he couldn’t see the tears in her eyes. Rafael had been using the term of endearment  _ mijo _ from early in their relationship but had never pressured Noah into calling him anything other than his name, although Olivia had encouraged him to drop the uncle prefix.

“I don’t think he would mind at all, sweet boy,” she told him.

When she’d finished with her shower, Olivia went to the bedroom and found Rafael sitting on the bed against the headboard, his laptop open on his legs. She knew entertaining and shuttling Noah around for the entire weekend had taken time away from grading the mid-terms his students had taken the week before. She crawled onto the mattress and kissed him on the cheek. He turned his head.

“What’s that for?”

Olivia settled against her pillows facing him, her knees tucked under her. 

“Just to thank you for taking care of Noah by yourself all weekend. Sending a car to pick me up. Making dinner,” she told him. “There was a time when I’d have paid Lucy overtime, taken the subway home and probably ordered out once I got here.”

Rafael closed the computer and set it aside. Then he turned to face her and took her hands in his. He rubbed his thumb over the antique gold of her wedding band that had been his  _ abuelita’s _ .

“You don’t need to thank me,  _ mi amor.  _ I do these things because I love you and Noah. We’re a family.”

She smiled at him.

“Speaking of being a family.”

“You’re not going to tell me you’re pregnant are you?” he deadpanned.

Olivia burst out laughing.

“God, no,” she assured him, shaking her head. Then she sobered a little.

“Noah asked me if I thought you would mind if he started calling you Dad.”

The smile that had spread across his face to share in her laughter froze.

“What?”

“Is that not okay? I thought -- you just said we’re a family, Rafael.”

Olivia’s heart pounded in her chest and she looked at him wide eyed.

“No, no. Of course it’s okay.”

He squeezed her hands that he’d still been holding.

“We are a family, Liv. We are.” Rafael leaned in, kissed her tenderly and drew back to hold her gaze. “I would love for Noah to call me Dad. I’ve wanted him to, but it needed to be his decision. It’s as new to him having a father as it is me being one.”

Her body relaxed as his smile returned. That little lopsided grin. A little sheepish, a little humble, a completely unguarded Rafael and a gesture he used only with her.

“Come here.”

He tugged on her hands, and shifted his body so she could lie down and rest her head on his shoulder.

“Don’t you have tests to grade?” she asked, closing her eyes and resting her palm on his chest, feeling the strong, secure beat of his heart beneath it. 

“They can wait. I missed two nights of holding you in my arms. I need to catch up.”

He pulled the covers over them and turned off the bedside light.

“Me too,” Olivia sighed sleepily, sinking further into his embrace.

Her final thought before falling asleep was there was no place she’d rather be.


End file.
